Best strategy for updating and migrating template

[Nik]

Hi everyone. We are about to update our template file. It has not been updated for some time and quite a few versions of Archicad. Basically, every time we have updated Archicad in the past (before my time), users have just opened the old template file and used that. I suspect many things are now missing or not working as they should.

So, my question is what is the best strategy to update our template and 'fix' the problems?

- Open/migrate the old template file in Archicad 25 (the current version we are using) and then systematically work through everything and fix/update it? Or...

- Start from scratch, create a new file in Archicad 25 and recreate everything from the old template. This could take a while!

If anyone has experience of doing this I would be super grateful for any advice you have. My head is already hurting!

Cheers, Nik

[Lee Hankins]

I upgrade ours for every version. I generally start by working my way through the Attribute manager from

left to right ensuring I untick the option to copy linked attributes. I always have a scan through to make sure I am replacing like for like. Anything I have added to the template over the years was added to the end of the attributes lists and I made a void space of at least 100 attributes for each type to allow for new additions provided by Graphisoft. 

You will likely find some library object favourites will need to be replaced, doors were an issue between 19 and 20 and kitchen cabinets between 24 and 25. There’s a random chair between 25 and 26. You’ll find them though.

I’m more than happy to help if you PM me. 

[Andrii Levko]

There are a good Workflow Guides for Archicad Template upgrade starting with AC21 but step by step up to each version.

https://learn.Graphisoft.com/visitor_class_catalog/category/8918

[Laszlo Nagy]

Also, the Archicad Help usually contains a section about migration, you may find that helpful as well:

https://help.graphisoft.com/AC/26/INT/index.htm#t=_AC26_Help%2F010_MigrationGuide%2F010_MigrationGui...

[Tim Ball]

The workflow theory is fine, but in practice it’s a real pain.

For instance the default pen set for 26 is completely new with lots of extra RAL colours and so all my old pens for specific elements such as drainage, landscape, location maps has to be re-worked.

So I am expecting to do a rough update one day soon and then tweak the template as and when I come across problems.

[Nik]

Thanks everyone for the help and apologies for not responding sooner. I've just switched my Mac for a newer model and am now having all kinds of problems connecting to BIMcloud. Might have to post a new topic on that one first before I embark on the template!

[Erwin Edel]

It depends on the version updates. If there are new tools added or other things that are not part of the old template (like overhaul of cinerender surfaces etc), I might go with the stock template from new version and rebuild it back to our office standard. But ussually I just make sure the new library etc are working  and maybe use import/export for things like model view options, graphic overrides etc

I'm still on AC23 with our template, as AC24 and AC25 have offered little in upgrades. I will probably update that to AC25 at some point as AC26 seems to offer very little change as well.

The perks of Graphisoft focussing on a lot of things that are of little interest to a small architecture firm.

We do try to have a somewhat lightweight template, so it is easier to update. So it's not full of a bunch of standard details, for example.